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Background Beach Information:
Owner: County of Orange, Resources & Development Management Department
Contact: Bryan Speegle, Director
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE COASTAL BEACH
Located in southern Orange County,
and owned by the County of Orange, Poche Beach is located
on the borderline of the Cities of Dana Point and San Clemente.
On the upcoast side of the beach is Capistrano Beach and
of the downcoast side is the Shorecliffs Community Center
Beach. At the back-beach line the beach encompasses approximately
200 feet of shoreline. The Prima Descheca Canada Flood Control
Channel (M01) meanders across the beach, its outlet location
change with swell and sea conditions. Public access is provided
by means of a catwalk suspended from the Flood Control Channel
Wall under Pacific Coast Highway and the Orange County Transit
Authority railroad-bridge. There is public parking on local
streets adjacent to Pacific Coast Highway and local resident
parking in the Shorecliffs Community Association Parking
lot.
This beach is popular for sun bathing,
swimming, body boarding and surfboarding.
A description of the existing or
potential health or water quality problem at the coastal
beach include but are not limited to:
1). Number of postings and closures
during the year 2000: The beach experienced several periods
of long-term postings. There were no beach closures during
the year 2000. Following is a summary of the posting:
· January 20 to January 21
· February 9 to February 10
· May 9 to July 6
· July 11 to July 19
· August 1 to September 21
· September 27 to March 11, 2001
2). Population use impact: The average annual visitor
use of this beach is estimated to be 112,000 based on
ranger and lifeguard surveys. The annual visitors utilization
of the adjacent beaches, and impacted by the M01 Channel
urban runoff is estimated to be over 500,000. Postings
and closures have ranged from hundreds to thousands of
feet up and/or downcoast of the M01 Channel outlet.
PROJECT INFORMATION
PROJECT LOCATION
The project is proposed for diversion
of non-storm flow in the M01 Channel at one or more locations
in the invert. The first location is an area between Beach
Road and Pacific Coast Highway where access can be readily
obtained for diversion of up to 200,000 gallons per day
(limited by size of receiving sewer pipe). The total base
flow of M01 has been measured to vary from 400,000 to
700,000 gallons per day. Thus a second diversion site
must be found. The City of San Clemente is currently investigating
the available capacity of several potential sewer access
points and potential sites for implementation of various
treatment technologies.
PROJECT GOAL
The goal of the project is to divert
a portion of the urban runoff to the sanitary sewer for
treatment and investigate and implement alternate treatment
or diversion of the remainder of the non-storm flow to
significantly reduce or eliminate beach postings and closures.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
The project will be accomplished
by a combination of techniques to remove the bacterial
loading at the ocean outlet. First, a South Coast Water
District sewer line is available at Beach Road that can
accept diversion of up to 200,000 gallons per day of urban
runoff. The District has given conceptual approval for
this plan. However, most of the M01 watershed has sewer
service provided by the City of San Clemente and the remainder
of the base flow must either be treated in the City treatment
plant, placed directly in the connector to the South Orange
County Wastewater Authority ocean outfall line, or treated
onsite by a portable treatment system. The onsite treatment
could also be accomplished using other best available
technologies.
The County of Orange is presently
in the design stage for biofiltration systems that will
be built as demonstration projects in the Aliso Creek
Watershed. If these projects demonstrate early effectiveness,
then they will be considered as options for bacterial
loading reduction. The City of San Clemente and the County
of Orange are investigating the available options by first
determining water quality trends; base flow rate variations;
treatment plant capacity, sewer line capacity, treatment
and reuse technology and siting and habitat issues. In
addition, the Surfrider Foundation and some local business
sponsors are investigating the watershed on a pipe-by-pipe
basis to quantify the volume of water and relative bacterial
concentrations of sub-watershed areas. The output will
be a GIS map of the watershed layered with data that will
assist the City and County in source control efforts.
Based on the findings of these investigations, a strategy
for dealing with the total watershed base flow will be
developed.
PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS AND COST ESTIMATE
Not available for the project at
this time.
ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTS
Will be prepared to satisfy CEQA
after plans, specifications and estimates are completed.
LOCAL ISSUES
All local (Cities of Dana
Point and San Clemente) and regional (County of Orange
and State Coastal Commission) permitting issues will be
complied with following preparation of design development
documents. Necessary permits are anticipated from the
following agencies: Regional Water Quality Control Board,
State Tidelands, City of Dana Point, California State
Coastal Commission, County of Orange. There also, exist
very strong local activist groups such as the Surfrider
Foundation and City Community Committees that will be
included in the project strategy and implementation phases.
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